Generally coaxial cable includes an inner conductor surrounded by a layer of dielectric material and precisely centered within an outer conductor, and having an outer jacket of dielectric material. In certain coaxial cable, the outer conductor defines a ground return path necessary for microwave signal transmission, and is termed semirigid coaxial cable. In certain semirigid coaxial cable, the outer conductor is strengthened by corrugation, and in certain such cable the corrugation is helical, as is described in proposed draft Military Specification MIL-C-28830/AA. U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,636 discloses a connector for such cable includes a forward connector assembly with an inner contact disposed within a dielectric insert in an outer conductive housing, with the outer housing including a rearwardly extending threaded flange in which a flaring ring is disposed. A rear connector portion is assembled separately to the cable end, and comprises a clamping member having a threaded inner surface to match the helical corrugations of the outer cable conductor. The flaring ring has an inner diameter at least as small as the inside diameter of the helically corrugated outer cable conductor, and includes a bevelled end which engages the inner surface of the open end of the outer cable conductor to flare the engaged portion outwardly against a complementarily bevelled surface along the forward end of the clamping member, as the forward connector assembly is threaded onto the end of the clamping member. U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,470 discloses a similar connector.
Other connectors for coaxial cable with helically corrugated outer conductor are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,199,061; 4,047,291; 4,995,832 and 4,824,400. Additional connectors for coaxial cable having an annularly corrugated outer conductor are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,046,451 and 4,800,351.
It is desired to provide a coaxial connector for coaxial cable having a corrugated outer conductor which is easily assembled thereto and mechanically secured thereto.
It is further desired to provide such a connector which is easily assembled to the cable without deforming the outer conductor of the cable and which assures an electrical connection of the inner surface of the outer conductor with the outer conductive housing of the connector.